Heart failure is a chronic, progressive disease that affects a substantial portion of the world's population. The prevalence and incidence of heart failure is growing due to an aging population and a greater number patients who survive a myocardial infarction.
Clinically, heart failure can be characterized by a syndrome of breathlessness and fatigue, often accompanied by fluid retention, as indicated by an elevated jugular venous pressure and edema. The progression of heart failure is defined in four stages. The term heart failure refers to all of these. Stage A-at risk: patients at high-risk of developing heart failure (patients with coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and/or valvular heart disease). Stage B-pre-heart failure: patients with structural heart disease but without clinical heart failure symptoms, many of whom have decreased systolic function. Stage C-heart failure: patients who have prior or current symptomatic heart failure due to systolic or diastolic dysfunction and who are responding to therapy. Stage D-advanced heart failure: patients in end-stage or refractory-to-therapy.
Many of the tests and procedures for accurately and successfully diagnosing, managing and treating heart failure are complex, expensive and available only at a hospital or other health-care setting.